COSIG CONFERENCE BROCHURE.pdf - Drexel University College ...

COSIG Co-Occurring Disorders Conference, Hershey PA, May 15-17, 2006
What Works: Workforce Issues
Workforce Issues and
Co-occurring Disorders
Donna N McNelis
Drexel University College of Medicine
Behavioral Healthcare Education
Philadelphia, PA
• COD Workforce Dilemmas
• Concurrence on COD Approach:
– National and PA’s Development
•Policy
• Program
• Staff
• Embracing Technologies at All Levels
COD Workforce Dilemmas
• COD is a misnomer, actually many
disorders co-exist
• Demands for differential diagnosis and
ability to work with many COD
• Above skills are taught in graduate level
programs ( MD, MSW, MSN, PhD,) but
most do not provide specialized training
with COD
COD Workforce Dilemmas
• The undergraduate and graduate
educational programs have not fully
embraced COD
• There are no uniform standards in
curricula or field supervision
• Great variation in community college
certificate programs
• There is more potential for innovation and
fewer resources to permit the innovation
COD Workforce Dilemmas
• Greater variation at the program/
provider/practitioner level
• Provider system remains non-integrated at
the local, regional and state level
• Programs do not have a whole-person
focus*
• Peer specialists are few
COD Workforce Dilemmas
• Burnout and frustration is high at the
direct-care level
• Strong need to increase number of
graduates each year to keep pace with
growth in the field
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